One of the Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience’s most important behind-the-scenes teams reports at dawn, uniformed in white jackets, and armed with a waiter’s key and a well-trained palate. They’re the Wine Experience Somm Team, and each year they come from around the world to taste every bottle backstage before it is poured at the seminars and ensure that no bad bottle hits the table during the event’s many seminars stocked with trophy wines.
This year’s team included more than 20 sommeliers, nearly all of them from Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning programs.
2018 Wine Experience Somm Team
- Brahm Callahan, from Grand Award winner Grill 23 & Bar
- Harley Carbery, from Grand Award winner Aureole Las Vegas
- Theresa Carbery Trujillo, from Best of Award of Excellence winner Fleur by Hubert Keller
- Kimberly Cavoores, from Award of Excellence winner Marta
- Shawn Dore, from Sommelier Services LLC
- Jennifer Foucher, from Best of Award of Excellence winner Fiola
- Juan Gomez, from Grand Award winner HMF at the Breakers
- Jill Gubesch, from Award of Excellence winner Frontera Grill/Topolobampo
- Crystl Faye Horton, from Grand Award winner Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
- Joshua MacGregor, from Best of Award of Excellence winner DB Bistro Moderne
- Jon McDaniel, from Second City Soil
- Brad Nugent, from Best of Award of Excellence winners the Grill, the Pool and the Lobster Club
- Alessandro Piliego, from Grand Award winner Ai Fiori
- Virginia Philips, from Grand Award winner HMF at the Breakers
- Kimberly Prokoshyn, from Best of Award of Excellence winner Scampi
- Rory Pugh, from Grand Award winner Jean-Georges
- Ashley Santoro, from the Standard
- Sabrina Schatz, from Best of Award of Excellence winner Bobby Flay Steak
- Erik Segelbaum, from Starr Restaurants, which includes 16 Restaurant Award winners
- Robert Smith, from Grand Award winner Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Houston
- Adam Sweders, from Award of Excellence winner Siena Tavern and Best of Award of Excellence winner Prime & Provisions
- Nina West, from Republique
- Hristo Zisovski, from Grand Award winner Ai Fiori
- Mason Zhizuosun, from six of Daniel Boulud’s Restaurant Award–winning restaurants